Movie notes: The end of the Chipmunks? We can always hope

Maybe critics won’t have Alvin and the Chipmunks to kick around any more after this holiday season. “Chipwrecked,” the third squealfest from Alvin, Simon and Theodore that opened Friday, made an estimated $23.5 million last weekend.

That sounds like a lot. An indie film would kill for that kind of box-office take. But for this franchise, it’s considered almost disastrous, since it’s less than half of the $48.9 million the second Chipmunks flick, “Squeakquel,” made in its opening weekend in 2009. And “Alvin and the Chipmunks” opened with $44 million in 2007.

I’m lucky enough that my kids long ago escaped the Alvin demographic (during the first Clinton administration), so I don’t have to sit through “Chipwrecked.” But I had to endure the trailer twice in two days when we saw “The Muppets” and “Puss in Boots” back to back over Thanksgiving weekend, which is bad enough.

So the possibility of no more Chipmunks movies could be one of the best holiday gifts I’ve gotten in awhile. Parents whose kids ARE in Alvin’s demographic are surely much happier than I am.

“… 20th Century Fox did a great job showing that “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” had a unique premise (the Chipmunks get stranded on a desert island) in comparison to the first two movies. Regardless of how interesting the premise is, though, the franchise probably isn’t looked upon fondly by most adults. While usually this wouldn’t be a huge problem, the generally poor performance of family movies lately indicates that parents are probably being far more judicious in deciding what movies they will take their children to.”

Did you spot the major “duh” moment in that last statement? “Probably isn’ t looked upon fondly by most adults?” How about, “Some adults said they would prefer a root canal to sitting through a Chipmunks movie a second time?”

A certain family member accuses me of Scroogelike behavior for ragging on the Chipmunks, who have shown up ever other holiday season since 2007. “I liked the Chipmunks,” she said.

“I did, too,” I replied. “But I was FIVE!”

Yes, the Chipmunks were the toast of the late Eisenhower and early Kennedy administrations. “The Chipmunk Song,” with the furry trio singing “Please Christmas don’t be late” and Alvin pining for his damned harmonica, was No. 1 for four weeks in December 1958. This was about the time Elvis went into the Army, which is probably not a coincidence.

I remember having a red vinyl copy of the Chipmunks album with the offending hit, which charted again during the holiday seasons of 1961 and ’62. Fortunately, the Beatles and the other British Invasion groups came along to put an end to this nonsense.

At least, for a couple of decades. The trio came roaring back in 1980 with the album “Chipmunk Punk,” which should have been called “Chipmunk New Wave,” since the trio covered the likes of Blondie’s “Call Me,” the Knack’s “My Sharona” and Billy Joel’s “You May Be Right.” Billy Joel? Punk?

Despite its having no actual punk songs, it cracked the Top 40 and went gold. I played it at a party (I didn’t buy it; it was a gift!), and everyone thought it was hilarious. For about five minutes.